Confession
by Kalira69
Summary: Shiro's made a perhaps long-overdue confession - now Keith has one too. (Written for Sheith Month, Day 1. Fluff.)


Written for Day 1 of Sheith Month: "Yes, Sir"

. . .Sheith Month for which I was intending to do entirely mini ficlets of a few hundred words. This is an auspicious start. . I'll be back tomorrow and _hopefully_ every day with new stories for the Sheith Month prompts all August!

* * *

"So, um. . ." Shiro said awkwardly. "That's how I- I mean. . ."

Keith was just _staring_ at him and Shiro was rapidly thinking that this had been a terrible idea and he never should have said anything. He'd refrained for _years_ , and they'd been close and he'd been happy; Keith was the most important person in his life - hell, _he_ was the most important person in _Keith's_ life and he knew it. Why had he had to risk fucking it up for this?

"I'm sorry-" Shiro started to say, but Keith was already talking.

"I have feelings for you, too, Shiro." Keith said, shaking his head slightly. "I have for years." he admitted, with the barest edge of a flush rising along his cheekbones. "Why-" he paused. "Why didn't you say anything all this time?" he asked softly.

Shiro was speechless for a moment. "You-" he began, and Keith's eyes, soft yet intense grey-violet fixed on him and just waiting for him to speak, were a little too much.

"Shiro?" Keith prompted gently.

"I was," Shiro paused, "I didn't want to . . . push you." he admitted, wincing.

Keith blinked a few times, his brows drawing together thoughtfully. "Push me?" he repeated curiously.

"Back at the Garrison, I," Shiro paused uncomfortably, "I was ahead of you, and for a while I was even officially assigned to guide you through classes and settling in."

"Not _that_ far ahead of me, and we went way beyond 'assigned mentor'." Keith pointed out, arching an eyebrow at him.

"Well," Shiro smiled, "yes. We were friends, we've always been friends," Keith's expression softened again, "but there was still that possible . . . pressure. And up here, it's . . . very different from what we were trained for, maybe," huge understatement, Shiro thought, "but I'm still the leader of our team and I didn't want. . ."

"Shiro, when have I _ever_ done anything just because a 'superior officer' told me to do it outside of direct training sims or combat situations and even _then_ sometimes. . ." Keith trailed off. He really _had_ been something of a wild card at the Garrison, though he flew like he was born to it and they'd been willing to put up with a lot for his capabilities both in a pilot's seat and out. And as a Paladin his wilfulness was almost always a boon, when paired with his instincts in battle and his dedication to his teammates. "Even _you_ couldn't have made me do anything I didn't want to."

"It's not that I thought you were. . . But- You even used to," Shiro blushed, hard, "for _most_ of the time back at the Garrison I wasn't even close to being your direct superior but you used to act like I was, sometimes even when we were alone together. You called me-"

"Of course, _sir_." Keith almost _purred_ , and Shiro choked, his face heating even more. Keith smirked at him and moved close, sliding one hand up Shiro's chest. Shiro's eyes widened. "Shiro. Handsome." Keith said slowly. "I wasn't calling you that because you were in charge of me - nor did you have any kind of undue influence over me because of my respect for you. Sorry." he added, sounding not sorry at all. "You get _so_ red and flustered and it was . . . really cute."

Shiro blinked, and his tongue tangled when he tried to speak. And Keith _looking_ at him like this. . . He shivered, and Keith petted him, the flat of his hand stroking lightly over the right side of Shiro's chest.

"If you knew-" Shiro ducked his head, swallowing, then looked at Keith again. "If you knew my feelings, and you felt for me too . . . then . . . why didn't _you_ say anything?" he asked nervously.

Keith's sly expression faded into something a little sorrowful, and his touch lightened without quite dropping away. "I . . . didn't." he said softly. "I didn't know. I thought, for a while, but then- It never seemed like it, and you never said anything. And Shiro, you were . . . too important to me to risk it, when it seemed like it wasn't _me_. I thought you just had a kink," his tone shifted, almost rueful, "and I couldn't resist seeing you react that way to me even if it was only because of that, even if you never did anything more. If that was the only thing I could have, seeing you worked up because of something _I_ said . . . I'd take it."

"It was you." Shiro managed to get out. "I mean-" Keith's face was taken over by dawning happiness and surprise, and how could he be _surprised_ , but then how could he have known when Shiro had _never told him anything_. "Some of the other cadets would call me," his voice hitched, "sir, especially the year before," he paused, "Kerberos," he moved on quickly, "when I was assigned to mentor a first year group. No one else saying it ever- ever hit me like when it was _you_."

Shiro thought at this point that the blush might just well be permanent. Keith's almost wicked smile was creeping back across his face, though, and Shiro's heart felt fluttery and light in his chest.

"Just me, huh?" Keith asked, fingers curling into Shiro's vest. "Just me, or just me when I'm taking orders?" he asked in a soft purr, and it took Shiro a moment of startled concern to realise he was teasing.

He shook his head, snorting. "Just . . . _you_ , Keith." he said softly, sincere. Keith's smile softened in response, open and gorgeous, and Shiro's heart tightened almost painfully at the sight of it. "Is that okay?" he asked, as playfully as he could manage when his throat had gone tight.

Keith's grin broadened, his eyes bright with mischief. "Yes, sir." he said, and tugged Shiro down to meet him with an eager kiss.

* * *

I somehow managed to write about this kink without making it kinky _at all_ \- the boys apparently needed to talk about feelings first.


End file.
